World would be a better place if presidents had listened to their generals

Published 12:10 am, Wednesday, February 18, 2015

To the editor:

As a history buff, I am a strong believer in the old saying, “he who does not learn from the mistakes in history is doomed to repeat them.”

Recent historical events in which presidents did not listen to their military field generals are a good case in point.

I believe the world would be in better shape today if President Truman had listened to Gen. MacArthur during the Korean War, if President Kennedy had listened to Gen. Curtis LeMay during the Cuban Bay of Pigs invasion and missile crisis and if President Johnson had listened to Gen. Westmoreland and Gen. LeMay during the Vietnam War.

Now we have Obama, who not only did not listen to Gen. David Petraeus and Gen. Stanley McChrystal but he fired McChrystal for petty offenses.

Two of his top field commanders with over 30 years of experience each are now out on the street instead of doing the job they were trained to do.

Obama should have learned from President Lincoln when during the American Civil War an aide came to the president and told him that Gen. Grant was an alcoholic.

It is reported that Lincoln told the aide, “find me more alcoholics that can do the job Grant is doing and I will put them to work today.”

To the 50 percent who know what I am talking about, no explanation is needed.